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full screen Excavations for missing Mexicans near Mexico City in May. Photo: Ginnette Riquelme/AP/TT
The remains of 31 people have been found in violence-plagued southern Mexico, local authorities say.
Excavations at the site began this weekend. On Monday, Chiapas state prosecutors announced that a total of 25 improvised graves had been found, containing the remains of 29 men and two women. The search for all those reported missing over the years continues, according to a statement.
The region of Frailesca in the state of Chiapas has long been the scene of fierce battles between rival drug cartels. Chiapas, on the border with Guatemala, is described as a hub for smuggling both drugs and people.
Since the Mexican government launched a war against the cartels in 2006, over 450,000 murders have been recorded in the country. Tens of thousands more people have disappeared, according to official figures.